传道书 4
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
鬥爭勞碌都是虛空
4 我又看見日光之下所發生一切欺壓的事：受欺壓的流淚，卻無人安慰他們；欺壓他們的，手裡握著權柄，因此無人安慰受欺壓的。 2 我讚歎那已死的人，勝過那還活著的人。 3 那還沒生下來的，就是還沒看過日光之下所行的惡事的，比這兩種人更有福。
4 我看見各樣的勞碌和各樣精巧的工作，都是出於人與人彼此的競爭。這也是虛空，也是捕風。 5 愚昧人抱著手，吃自己的肉。 6 一掌盛滿安寧，勝過兩手抓滿勞碌捕風。
7 我又看到日光之下有一件虛空的事。 8 有人孤單無依，沒有兒子，沒有兄弟，仍勞碌不休，眼目也不以自己的財富為足。他問：“我勞勞碌碌，刻薄自己不去享受，是為誰呢？”
這也是虛空，是勞苦的擔子。
9 二人勝過一人，因為他們一起的勞碌有美好的酬報。 10 如果一個跌倒，另一個可以把他的同伴扶起來。但一人孤身跌倒，沒有別人把他扶起來，他就悲慘了。 11 還有，二人同睡，就都暖和；一人獨睡，怎能暖和呢？ 12 有人能制伏孤身一人，如果有二人就擋得住他。三股合成的繩子，不容易扯斷。
13 貧窮但有智慧的年輕人，勝過年老不再納諫的愚昧王。 14 雖然他是從監獄出來，在自己的國中，又是出身貧寒，卻起來作王。 15 我看見所有在日光之下行走的活人，都隨從那取代老王的年輕人（“那取代老王的年輕人”或譯：“那取代他的第二位年輕人”）。 16 所有的人民，就是他所統治的人民，多得無數；然而後來的人卻不喜歡他。這實在也是虛空，也是捕風。
Ecclesiastes 4
Expanded Bible
Is It Better to Be Dead?
4 Again I saw all the people who were ·mistreated [oppressed] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
I saw ·their tears [L the tears of the oppressed]
and that they had no one to comfort them.
·Cruel people had [Oppressors have] all the power,
and there was no one to comfort those they hurt.
2 I ·decided that the dead
are better off than the living [L praised the dead who were already dead more than the living who are still alive].
3 But those who have never ·been born [existed; L been]
are better off still;
they have not seen the evil
that is done ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
Why Work So Hard?
4 I ·realized [saw; observed] the reason people ·work hard [toil] and try to succeed: They are jealous of ·each other [L their neighbors]. This, too, is useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.
5 ·Some say it is foolish to fold your hands and do nothing [L Fools fold their hands],
·because you will starve to death [L and consume their own flesh; Prov. 6:9–11; 10:4; 24:30–34].
6 ·Maybe so, but I say it is better to be content
with what little you have [L Better one handful with rest].
·Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more [L …than two handfuls with hard work/toil; Prov. 15:15; 16:8; 17:1],
and that is like chasing the wind.
7 ·Again I [L I turned and] saw something ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3] that was useless [1:2]:
8 ·I saw a man who had no family [L There was one, but not a second],
no son or brother.
·He always worked hard [L There was no end to all his hard work/toil]
but ·was never satisfied with what he had [L his eye was never satisfied with his work].
He ·never asked [or asked] himself, “For whom am I ·working so hard [toiling]?
Why ·don’t I let myself enjoy life [L do I deprive myself of good]?”
This also is ·very sad [or an evil task/occupation] and useless [1:2].
Friends and Family Give Strength
9 Two people are better than one,
because they get ·more done by working together [L a good return for their hard work/toil].
10 If one falls down,
the other can help ·him [L his colleague] up.
But it is ·bad [a pity] for the person who is alone and falls,
because no one is there to help.
11 If two lie down together, they will be warm,
but a person alone will not be warm.
12 ·An enemy [L Someone] might ·defeat [overpower] one person,
but two people together can ·defend themselves [L stand up against them];
·a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break [T a three-stranded cord does not quickly snap; C having a friend is good, having more friends is better].
Fame and Power Are Useless
13 A poor but wise ·boy [youth] is better than a foolish but old king who doesn’t listen to advice [Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6]. 14 The ·boy [youth] became king. He had been born poor in the kingdom and had even gone to prison before becoming king. 15 I ·watched [saw; observed] all the people who ·lived on earth [L walked under the sun; 1:3] follow ·him and make him their king [or the next youth who replaced the first youth/L him]. 16 ·Many followed him at first [L There was no end to all the people, to all those whom he led], but later, they did not like him, either. ·So fame and power are [L This is] useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.